Suddenly Nancy’s attention centered upon two girls who were hurrying down the aisle ahead of her. She stopped short and stared. Though their backs were turned, she had recognized them.
“Ada and Isabel Topham! I’m sure I don’t want to tag them around! I’ll just slip down another aisle!”
But Nancy Drew never carried the thought into action, for at that very moment she saw Ada brush carelessly against a counter of expensive vases. As her sleeve caught, a large fragile bowl was swept to the floor. In horror Nancy heard the crash and saw the bowl break into a dozen pieces.
As Ada looked down upon the wreckage, a slight flush mounted to her cheeks. Then with a toss of her head, she started to move on.
“Miss, I am afraid I must ask you to pay for the bowl,” a saleswoman interposed politely.
Ada wheeled angrily and stared at the saleswoman insolently.
“I’ll not pay for it!” she snapped. “I didn’t break it!”
“But, Miss, I saw you knock it off the counter,” the saleswoman protested.
By this time the floor manager had arrived upon the scene, and a number of shoppers had gathered about Ada and the salesgirl. Nancy likewise drew closer.
“This impudent girl claims I broke a vase,” Ada stormed, addressing the floor manager. “I wasn’t even near the counter at the time! However, I did see her knock it to the floor herself. Isn’t that so, Isabel?”
Solemnly, Isabel agreed to the untruth.